Hollywood Preps for Obama
Barack Obama's fund-raiser at the Los Angeles Music Center on Tuesday is expected to draw a sizable contingent of stars and Hollywood executives, including Samuel L. Jackson, Seal, Heidi Klum, Sidney Poitier, Will.i.am, Cedric the Entertainer, Dennis Quaid and Kal Penn.
Also on the list are Ari Emanuel, Ron Meyer, Bryan Lourd, Mike and Irena Medavoy, Jim Wiatt and Sherry Lansing.
The reception and dinner will be the first time that Obama has visited Los Angeles since he became the presumptive nominee.
Of course, much attention will be on which former supporters of Hillary Clinton show up. Some of her key fund-raisers, like John Emerson, chairman of the Los Angeles Music Center, are already raising money for Obama.
Obama was expected to reach out to other bundlers like Haim Saban, Ron Burkle and Sim Farar, if he has not already. On Thursday, Obama and Hillary Clinton are hosting a joint meeting in Washington with some of her top donors.
Meanwhile, the partners at DreamWorks, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, are hoping to host a another fund-raiser for Obama, possibly in the fall.
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Forgive me, but these all seem like bush league performers. Four years ago John Kerry's L.A. fundraiser had Streisand, Stiller, DeNero, Billy Crystal, Jamie Fox. Who's buying a ticket to see Kal Penn and Cedric the Entertainer? Mike Medavoy and Sherry Lansing are, with all due respect, has-beens. Doesn't seem like Obama may be the Hollywood candidate. And that may be a good thing.
Posted by: Paul McAndrews | June 22, 2008 at 05:58 PM